Next term of admission is Spring 2017Spring 2017 applications accepted until October 15, 2016

Fall 2017 applications accepted until June 1, 2017

About the Program

The M.Ed. in Educational Leadership is a State-approved program providing course work and internships that lead to students being eligible for Florida Level 1 Certification. As such, the program aligns with the Florida Principal Leadership Standards, which emphasizes instructional leadership for student learning and achievement. In addition, the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership reflects ELPS program Mission, Vision, and Goals and the program commitment to equity, excellence, culturally relevant learning and community partnerships. As a member of the University council for Educational Administration (UCEA), the M.Ed. curriculum adheres to UCEA’s standards for educational leadership preparation programs and emphasizes the following:

Relevant knowledge focused on the essential problems of schooling, leadership and administrative practice

Engagement in collaborative relationships

Alignment with quality leadership standards, informed by current scholarship on the essential problems of schooling, leadership and administrative practice, and research-based, best practices in leadership preparation

Engagement in on-going programmatic evaluation and enhancement

Academic Themes and Curriculum Specifications

The Master of Educational Leadership (M.Ed.) degree consists of a minimum of thirty (30) credits of coursework beyond the Bachelors degree. Students in the program engage research in order to develop socially just decision-making strategies, engage and inform stakeholders, sustain motivation for change, and build academic improvement opportunities for all children. Through collaborative inquiry, culturally relevant pedagogy, leadership opportunities, and public deliberation, students address historical and perennial issues confounding public education. Accordingly, the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership prepares schools leaders to perform their designated tasks in an effective, equitable and ethical manner aligned to the Florida Principal Leadership Standards (FPLS) for K-12 schools. Successful completion of coursework and degree requirements (including passsage of the Florida Educational Leaders Examination - FELE) fulfills core curriculum requirements for state of Florida Level I Educational Leadership certification.

Coursework

The current coursework is based on the M.Ed. program approved by the USF graduate council in the Spring of 2016 that is to appear in the 2016-2017 USF Graduate Catalog. The M.Ed. consists of 30 hours of required coursework.

*ESOL requirement can be waived with documentation of completion of a three (3) credit hour course in ESOL; ESOL endorsement; or completion of 120 hours of ESOL district in-service training plus ESOL certification exam

**The Florida Educational Leadership Exam (FELE) must be taken and passed in order to graduate.

Students should expect to be involved in practicum activities throughout the second half of the program.

Important: The Master’s Program Coordinator does not recommend starting classes as a non-degree seeking student. Our course sequence is the result of careful deliberation on foundational and applied knowledge and tasks. Students receive an orientation to the program requirements, licensing procedures, academic and writing expectations, Canvas, and program personnel. Additionally, it is likely that students who take classes out of sequence may find that they would have to wait a semester or two to take required classes as most classes are only offered once a year.

Students desiring attendance at another USF institution (Sarasota, Manatee or St. Petersburg) must apply directly to those institutions.

Admissions

Admission to the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership program occurs in the Fall and Spring. Admission is based on a holistic evaluation of each applicants’ demonstrated academic potential to complete all degree requirements successfully. Success in the M.Ed. program requires a commitment to utilizing rigorous inquiry, developing strong analytical and writing skills, and demonstrating a commitment to purposeful inclusive practices that lead to learning for all students. The program faculty will consider each applicant within the content defined by his or her personal and professional qualifications.

Preferred applicants must:

Have a minimum2 years of post-Bachelor’s teaching experience by the application deadline of the semester before your enrollment would begin if accepted

Possess a Florida Professional Educator’s Certificate

Have a minimum 3.00 GPA in the last half of the bachelor's earned at a regionally accredited institution. Applicants with GPA’s below 3.0 must submit GRE scores taken within the last 5 years (see www.gre.org).

How to apply:

Submit application and supporting documents by October 15, 2016 (Spring Admissions), or by June 1, 2017 (Fall Admissions)

Submit one original, sealed copy of bachelor’s and master’s (if applicable) transcripts to the Office of Graduate Admissions. Previous USF graduates do not need to submit transcripts of USF coursework.

Submit GRE scores, if needed, to the Office of Graduate Admissions.

Submit the following items to the contact below:

Submit three letters of professional reference emailed by recommender to Lisa Adkins (lisaadkins@usf.edu); ask references to include your name and “letter of reference” in subject line when emailing the letter. Two of the letters should be professional references from an administrator/leader or a faculty member.

Submit a Statement of Intent:
Please write (in 3-5 page double-spaced pages with a 1 inch margin) a description of your beliefs about leadership, values that inform your beliefs about leadership, related leadership experience, and leadership goals. Explain how your leadership experience strongly relates to an aspect of the Department's mission statement and/or values. Additionally, discuss the aspect of the mission statement and/or values you feel least prepared to enact and how this might affect your leadership goals. Refer to the home page for the program mission, values and goals.

Submit current resume.

For those students seeking Florida Educational Leadership Certification, submit a COLORED copy of the Florida Professional Educator’s Certificate that clearly shows all borders and the state seal or we will also accept as verification of Florida professional teaching certification a printout from the Florida Department of Education’s public Educator Certification Database which can be found here: http://www.fldoe.org/edcert/public.asp.The printout must show that the student has a Florida Professional Teacher Certificate (a temporary certificate is not acceptable) and that the certificate is current as of the time of admission.

Courses taken at other Universities

The USF Graduate Student Catalog states that “Students may, with the approval of their graduate degree program, transfer credits from any regionally accredited institution into their graduate degree program, as long as the majority of the credits are earned at the institution granting the degree.” Courses taken at other USF campuses are subject to USF transfer course policies. “Students taking courses at USF System Institutions other than their home USF institution should seek the approval of their graduate program director prior to taking the courses to ensure that the courses are eligible for transfer.”